shy damsels?!?

Deuce24 · 09-20-2004, 07:52 PM

Hi all,
My tank is 2 weeks old and I've begun cycling it with two damsels (blue devil, and yellow tail) to get the ~12 lbs of live rock use to the bio load of 2 fish (since I will be trading the damsels in towards a clown and a goby). I put them in the tank yesterday, and the blue devil seems to picking on the yellow tail immensely (the yellow tails fins seems to be getting eaten).

Anyways, both fish just seem to hide behind the live rock, at the far back of the tank. I figure the yellow tail has good reason (to avoid the blue devil) but both fish barely "peek out" anywhere in the tank, even to feed. Is this common for new fish in a tank, making sure there are no predators, etc? I'm new to marine tanks, so please let me know! I didn't buy fish to have them hide from sight! :P

Mrs Smith · 09-20-2004, 08:13 PM

Hi there,
First of all, just pull them both and take them back. The current thinking in the hobby has shifted away from requiring "cycling fish." Don't put them through the cycle, when a piece of raw cocktail shrimp will provide all the ammonia necessary. Just watch your rock, which will become fascinating in itself. (Trust me - we've all been there and all rolled our eyes at the thought of rock being interesting... but trust me.)

The behavior is a fairly normal stress response, and the damsels may end up killing each other. (Which is pretty likely. They don't get along with anyone.) New fish added to any system will take several days to weeks to settle in, depending on the fish, stress, other fish, etc.

I'd take them back, pick up a couple of books (Fenner's "Conscientious Marine Aquarist" is a great one), and wait out the cycle by reading and learning about this fantastic hobby you're embarking on.

BTW, how big is this tank?

Danielle

Deuce24 · 09-20-2004, 10:51 PM

Its a nano cube, so 12 gallons. I appreciate your opinion on the "cycling with fish topic", but I've spoken to many marine hobbyists and I like the idea of getting the live rock/bacteria use to the bioload of two fish (as that is the number I plan on keeping in the tank).
Thank you for the information on the damsels behavior, only one of the damsels (blue devil) seems to be aggressive, partially because it seems to have subdued the other one. They are both hiding right now, so hopefully eventually that adjust and come out before I exchange them at the shop for my future tank fish. Thanks again.

rottface4 · 09-21-2004, 01:00 AM

It is pretty common for fish to hide when introduced to the tank at first. Sometimes it takes a couple weeks or even a month or so for the fish to get use to the tank, if it ever does. In my opinion dasmels are nothing more than a plot for fish stores to make som easy money for people who are just starting a tank. Dasmel tend to try a rule the tank when ever you try to add other fish, and to take them out you pratically have to break your tank down. I would recommend you take them out a use a clown, since thats what you already plan on getting, if you really want to use fish to cycle your tank. I'm with Mrs. Smith though, I perfer not use fish to cycle my tank. But thats just my opinion.

Deuce24 · 09-21-2004, 09:08 PM

Thanks for the advice. I guess since the two damsels are already in there, I'll let them do their cycling thing. No point pulling them out now if I have to do it later anyways. I will take them out and get at least some credit on them at the LFS before I drop a clown in (no way I'm letting those damsels anywhere near my reef fish). I'm not worried about the $6 I spent on them anyways, so no biggie there. Thanks for the advice on their behavior, and on the tank cycling.